Seasonal Dietary Patterns of Tarim Red Deer (<i>Cervus hanglu yarkandensis</i>) Revealed by the <i>trnL</i> Sequencing Approach in the Tarim River Basin (Xinjiang, China).

ABSTRACT: The Tarim red deer (Cervus hanglu yarkandensis) is a flagship species inhabiting the Euphrates poplar (Populus euphratica) riparian forests along the Tarim River in China. It is listed as a Class I nationally protected species but despite its importance, current knowledge about this subspecies remains limited, particularly regarding the seasonal variation in its foraging ecology within the Shaya region of Xinjiang-a landscape characterized by a mosaic of Euphrates poplar forests interspersed with cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) croplands. We used DNA metabarcoding technology to investigate the diet of the Tarim red deer during the summer and winter of 2021-2022. We targeted chloroplast gene trnL (c-h) region for plant identification. From a total of 39 fecal samples

SUBMITTER: Qi C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12724009 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature